章：1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
3:1 童子撒母耳在以利面前事奉耶和华。当那些日子，耶和华的言语稀少，不常有默示。
And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.
3:2 一日，以利睡卧在自己的地方。他眼目昏花，看不分明。
And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;
3:3 神的灯在神耶和华殿内约柜那里，还没有熄灭，撒母耳已经睡了。
And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;
3:4 耶和华呼唤撒母耳。撒母耳说，我在这里。
That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.
3:5 就跑到以利那里，说，你呼唤我。我在这里。以利回答说，我没有呼唤你，你去睡吧。他就去睡了。
And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.
3:6 耶和华又呼唤撒母耳。撒母耳起来，到以利那里，说，你呼唤我。我在这里。以利回答说，我的儿，我没有呼唤你，你去睡吧。
And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.
3:7 那时撒母耳还未认识耶和华，也未得耶和华的默示。
Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.
3:8 耶和华第三次呼唤撒母耳。撒母耳起来，到以利那里，说，你又呼唤我。我在这里。以利才明白是耶和华呼唤童子。
And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child.
3:9 因此以利对撒母耳说，你仍去睡吧。若再呼唤你，你就说，耶和华阿，请说，仆人敬听。撒母耳就去，仍睡在原处。
Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
3:10 耶和华又来站着，像前三次呼唤说，撒母耳阿。撒母耳阿。撒母耳回答说，请说，仆人敬听。
And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.
3:11 耶和华对撒母耳说，我在以色列中必行一件事，叫听见的人都必耳呜。
And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.
3:12 我指着以利家所说的话，到了时候，我必始终应验在以利身上。
In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.
3:13 我曾告诉他必永远降罚与他的家，因他知道儿子作孽，自招咒诅，却不禁止他们。
For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.
3:14 所以我向以利家起誓说，以利家的罪孽，虽献祭奉礼物，永不能得赎去。
And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.
3:15 撒母耳睡到天亮，就开了耶和华的殿门，不敢将默示告诉以利。
And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision.
3:16 以利呼唤撒母耳说，我儿撒母耳阿。撒母耳回答说，我在这里。
Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I.
3:17 以利说，耶和华对你说什么，你不要向我隐瞒。你若将神对你所说的隐瞒一句，愿他重重地降罚与你。
And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee.
3:18 撒母耳就把一切话都告诉了以利，并没有隐瞒。以利说，这是出于耶和华，愿他凭自己的意旨而行。
And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good.
3:19 撒母耳长大了，耶和华与他同在，使他所说的话一句都不落空。
And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.
3:20 从但到别是巴所有的以色列人，都知道耶和华立撒母耳为先知。
And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD.
3:21 耶和华又在示罗显现。因为耶和华将自己的话默示撒母耳，撒母耳就把这话传遍以色列地。
And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.
撒母耳记上3参考
“耶和华的言语稀少”何故？我能听到神的声音并立即回应吗？
3:1-5 神在过去虽然以人能听见的方式，直接对摩西和约书亚说话，他在士师秉政的三百年中却言语稀少。在以利的时代，没有先知传讲神的信息，这是甚么缘故？单单从以利的两个儿子身上就可以看出。他们或者不愿意听，或者他们的贪欲阻碍了神对他们讲话。
要想与神有美好的关系，必须聆听他的话语，并且有所回应。他虽然不常常使用人的方式说话，却常使用圣经清清楚楚地对人讲话。要想领受他的信息，我们必须随时聆听，照他的吩咐去行。神若吩咐你去做甚么事，你要像撒母耳一样立即说：“我在这里。”
撒母耳睡在哪里？
3:2-3 神的约柜存放在会幕的至圣所中，是最里面的地方，只有大祭司才可一年进去一次。在它的前面是圣所──一个小房间，里面放著圣所的其他器物（香坛、摆陈设饼的桌子、灯台）。圣所外有院子，里面有祭司居住的小房间，撒母耳和其他祭司大概就住在那里，离约柜不远。
为何少年撒母耳能获神拣选呢？我呢？
3:8-9 人多半认为神会将信息赐给以利，而不是童子撒母耳。以利既资深又身居显要职位，但是神的各种命令都是对有信心的人而发的，并不依据年龄或地位。他找到忠心的信徒，就可能使用人意想不到的方式来发声。所以我们要装备好自己，随时随地准备接受神的拣选，为他做工。
连自己的家都管不好的人，能完成好事奉的任务吗？
3:13 以利终身事奉神。他的职责是督导以色列人敬拜神，可惜他在努力完成这个伟大任务时，却忽略了对自己家庭的责任。不要因热心事奉神而忽略了家庭，不然你的神圣任务就会大打折扣。更不要为了追求个人的成就，使你的家庭受亏损。
有人轻视罪，以为事后履行宗教仪式就可得赦免，怎样看？
3:14 “得赎去”是“罪得赦免”的意思。神是说以利家两个儿子的罪不能用献祭来遮掩，必须受罚。
撒母耳在哪里作先知？
3:20 “从但到别是巴”这句话常指应许之地的全境，但城在应许之地的最北端，别是巴则在最南端。按上下文来理解，这是特别著重让以色列全境的人都知道：神已呼召撒母耳作先知了。